The Search for Agent 3
by Xander Cookie
Summary: Agent 4 has followed in his footsteps by sealing away Octavio for the second time. But when Agent 3 goes missing, it's her job to find his whereabouts and save him with the help of some mysterious colleagues and an unlikely friend. PRE OCTO EXPANSION
1. Chapter 1: Remember

**Chapter 1: Remember**

"Agent 4, get over here. Now."

Chloe jumped at the sound of Marie's voice projecting from her hero headphones folded in her back pocket. Somehow, she could hear her communicator over the loud noises of the Turf War raging on around her. She ducked behind a wall and dropped her Hero Slosher Replica to speak with Marie.

"Uhh, not the best time, Marie. I'm in the middle of Musselforge Fitness!"

sigh* Can you disconnect? This is urgent."

"But I'm one game away from reaching level 50-"

"Agent 4!"

"Alright, fine! But you owe me 100 coins."

"Whatever. Just get to Tentakeel Outpost as soon as-"

Suddenly, green ink was flung over the wall Chloe was hiding behind.

"Gotta go!" she yelled into her communicator before making a mad dash for the exit, forming a bright pink path over the enemy ink with her Slosher. However, the squid chasing her was sneaky, and cut in front of Chloe. He sprung out of his ink and pushed Chloe to the floor using his Dynamo Roller. She landed hard on her back and dropped her Hero Slosher Replica.

"I got you now, punk!" the male Inkling exclaimed, raising his weapon above his head.

"I'm gonna get so banned for this…" Chloe thought, taking a deep breath. She sprung backwards, grabbed her Slosher and, with all her might, clocked the Inkling in the head with her weapon.

"GAH!" he yelled before falling to the floor unconscious. Chloe started running, but stopped before turning around to face the inkling. He had his tentacles hanging over his right eye and tied up at the back. He wore a Jellyvader Cap, a Hula Punk Shirt and a pair of Blue Trail Boots on his light skin.

"I can't shake the feeling that I know this guy…" Chloe thought, but quickly disregarded the thought as she needed to get out of the arena before Judd found her. She made her way to one of the ramps leading to the centre of the arena and ran her fingers along the walls until a panel popped open. Chloe darted inside the uncovered room and slammed it back into place.

"Phew… I made it to the fire exit."

Chloe walked down the spiraling flights of stairs as she thought of the inkling from before. "Who was that guy? I mean, sure, he was just a random inkling fighting in a Turf War, but he seems… familiar to me."

The sound of the whistle blowing signalling the end of the match was heard from the hidden fire exit. As Chloe continued to trot down the stairs, she pulled out her phone and checked the SplatNet 2 app. She navigated to the statistics of the battle that just concluded and scrolled through the players. She found the Inkling. Ryan. From the image, she found that he also had bright green eyes.

The same green eyes she knew for 12 years, before…

Chloe dropped her phone down the stairs, shattering the screen. Her eyes began tearing up, her hands made her way to her mouth.

"...it can't be…is it really you, friend?"

* * *

The sound of Agent 4 exiting the sewer pipe caught Marie's attention. However, Agent 4's expression shocked her.

"Oh my cod! Agent 4, what's wrong?" Marie asked, worried. Not once has she seen Agent 4 cry, not even when she was in the scariest situations.

"*sniff* My name… my name is Chloe, not Agent 4… *sniff* ...and there's nothing wrong..."

Agent 4 was trying to stop crying, wiping her tears on the sleeve of her Dark Urban Vest. She had forgotten to change into her Hero Armor, and was still wearing her Piranha Moccasins and Squid Clip-Ons on her short yellow tentacles. The tanned skin around her eyes was turning red, but she was shielding her eyes as to hide them from Marie.

"Well, this must be serious if you're crying so much."

"Really, there's… *sniff* ...there's nothing wrong… I'm perfectly fine..."

"Come, sit down," Marie patted a spot beside her on the bench in her shack. Chloe compiled and sat down with her Slosher beside her, still crying and shielding her eyes. Marie gently took Chloe's hand and lowered it from her face to reveal her shining, pink eyes. The tears made them appear to glisten in the sunlight. Chloe turned to face Marie.

"Now… Chloe, will you tell me what's wrong?"

"Well, I-I was heading to the exit of the arena, when a boy from the enemy team t-tried to splat me, and I panicked and w-whacked him on the head with my S-Slosher… and knocked him out… a-and I later found out that it was my best f-friend Ryan, w-who *sniff* who went missing for 3 years… and finally came back… I c-checked with my brother and *sniff* it's really him… R-Ryan's my best friend… and I greet him after all this time by potentially injuring him, and… a-and… I-I just feel so ba-aa-aaaad…"

Chloe was now freely crying and letting her tears run, resting on Marie's lap to cover her face and muffle her sobs. Marie could do nothing but stroke her tentacles any try to comfort her.

"Don't cry, Chloe. It was an accident, there's nothing to feel bad about."

"There's everything to feel bad about! I just hurt my missing friend and on purpose, too! I… i just wish I could forget… forget that it happened… forget all this, and go back to the good old days, just me and Ryan…"

Chloe had significantly calmed down, now lying on the bench with her head on Marie's lap, staring out into the vastness of Octo Canyon..

"...well, If you want to take your mind off this, I still need your help."

Chloe rose from her resting position to fully stand up.

"Sure, what's so important that you had to drag me out of Turf Wars?"

Marie's expression turned serious.

"Agent 3… he's missing."


	2. Chapter 2: Recruitment

**Chapter 2: Recruitment**

Agent 4 watched as the familiar green inkling jumped down from the platform. He was wearing the same outfit as Agent 4, but dark green. He landed perfectly on the ground, adjusting his Jellyvader cap upon impact. His bright green eyes now finally visible.

The moment he locked eyes with Agent 4, he instantly recognised her. The two stared at each other in silence, several emotions flowing through them both. Happiness, anger, regret… relief. The silence continued for another minute before Agent 5 dropped his Dynamo Roller and broke the silence.

"C-Chloe? Is it really you?" It seemed like it was his turn to cry.

Chloe was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to say. The silence just continued on longer. Marie and Marina looked at each other awkwardly.

Finally, Chloe mustered the strength to say something.

"I… I-I'm sorry…" She closed her eyes and began crying once again. She just couldn't hold it in… she hadn't seen her best friend for years since he went missing. The silence was broken by loud sobs and sniffles. Her Hero Slosher hit the ground with a loud CLUNK!

She felt arms wrap around her in a tight hug. Tears dropped on her shoulder. When she opened her teary eyes, she saw Ryan crying over her shoulder. Chloe hesitated, before tightly returning the embrace. The two reunited friends cried together. Marie and Marina silently agreed that it was best if the agents were left alone for a while. They super-jumped back to Tentakeel Outpost and left Chloe and Ryan by themselves.

"It wasn't your fault," Ryan said between sobs. "You were scared. I know now panicked you can get sometimes... when I found out that *sniff* that it was you in the match, I-I immediately tried to find you… a-and I saw you enter the sewers when I left the lobby..."

Chloe and Ryan had calmed down now, sitting side by side next to the billboard. Shoulder to shoulder. Just like it was before he...

"Where… where have you been all these years?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, I've got all the time in the world."

Ryan's aura got darker. Chloe sensed the change of mood, preparing to listen to every word of Ryan's story. Ryan held his Dynamo Roller on his lap, tinkering with the engine mechanism.

"The past two years… they traumatized me. I was low on money, I needed to find a job, and fast. It was around this time that Grizzco Industries opened up. I signed up for a job, and they hired me. You know how it goes, you fight the Salmonids, and if you get splatted someone can revive you. However, back then they didn't give us life rafts. If you were splatted, you had to hope that somewhere in Inkopolis a respawn point was available.

"I got too cocky during battle. I thought I could do things on my own. I left my co-workers behind to take out a Scrapper… but they surrounded me. I was splatted.

"I was floating for ages. It was nighttime, most respawn points in Inkopolis were turned off. I was in the sky for hours. I thought I'd never come back… but then I respawned.

"But I wasn't in Inkopolis, oh no. I don't completely remember… but I was somewhere in Octo Valley."

Chloe gasped. He was really in Octo Valley all this time? She continued to listen.

"Some Octolings found me… but instead of splatting me again, they took me away. Locked me up. I was so scared, and they acknowledged that. By feeding me fear.

"They beat me up. Forced me to work for them. I hated it. I didn't want to be there. I just wanted to play Turf Wars and goof around like I always do. But these guys kept me locked up.

"I tried to escape. Multiple times. But they found me every single time. And brought me back and forced me to fight. You know what they made me do? They made me kill inklings. And if I didn't comply, they'd beat me and lock me up in a pool of fushia ink. They forced me to kill my own kind! Kill! Not even splat! I ENDED PEOPLE'S' LIVES! I KILLED SO MANY!" Ryan was tearing up. Chloe brought her hands to her mouth.

"Eventually they got sick of me retaliating after a month or two, and so they brainwashed me. I don't remember how, I don't remember any of the events after that. I probably killed many more in the two years I was gone. But I do remember hearing shouting and exclamations about some 'Agent 3' person.

"I don't know why, but they let me go. The last thing I saw before they knocked me out and threw me outside was an Inkling in Hero Armor, being dragged into the headquarters. And boy was he mad at the Octarians. He was yelling at me, calling for help. He wanted me to come and save him. But I couldn't do anything.

"When I came to, I was lying near a grate. I had become older, no longer 14. I'm a goddamn fully blown teenager now. The Octarians stripped me from years of my life that I'll never get back.

"I went through the grate to arrive at Inkopolis Plaza. The plaza was deserted. No one was around anymore, Inkopolis Tower was shut. But I later found out that everyone was hanging downtown at Inkopolis Square. I found that my bank account still existed, got a credit card, bought some new weapons with the last of my money, including this one, and tried to fit back into society by playing in some Turf Wars. Learnt the new maps, joined a random lobby. And we both know what happened after that.

"Turns out that you're the only inkling I've talked to since I came back who recognised me. And I'm so grateful for that. That even after I went missing, you're the only one who cared. No-one I talked to recognised me. None of my friends believed me. Only you did. Just, thank you, Chloe."

Agents 4 and 5 sat beside each other in silence once again. Ryan was wiping away his tears. Chloe was processing the huge backstory that was told to her. Both were enjoying each other's company, watching the sun set over the rocks.

"We're gonna fight back."

Ryan fixed his gaze to Chloe who was still watching the sunset.

"No-one should have to be put through that kind of shit. I will bring you justice if it's the last thing I do."

 ** _From now on, chapters will be much longer, I thought the previous ones ended too quickly. Enjoy!_**


	3. Chapter 3: Backstory

**Chapter 3: Backstory**

Agent 4 watched as the familiar green inkling jumped down from the platform. He was wearing the same outfit as Agent 4, but dark green. He landed perfectly on the ground, adjusting his Jellyvader cap upon impact. His bright green eyes now finally visible.

The moment he locked eyes with Agent 4, he instantly recognised her. The two stared at each other in silence, several emotions flowing through them both. Happiness, anger, regret… relief. The silence continued for another minute before Agent 5 dropped his Dynamo Roller and broke the silence.

"C-Chloe? Is it really you?" It seemed like it was his turn to cry.

Chloe was at a loss for words. She didn't know what to say. The silence just continued on longer. Marie and Marina looked at each other awkwardly.

Finally, Chloe mustered the strength to say something.

"I… I-I'm sorry…" She closed her eyes and began crying once again. She just couldn't hold it in… she hadn't seen her best friend for years since he went missing. The silence was broken by loud sobs and sniffles. Her Hero Slosher hit the ground with a loud CLUNK!

She felt arms wrap around her in a tight hug. Tears dropped on her shoulder. When she opened her teary eyes, she saw Ryan crying over her shoulder. Chloe hesitated, before tightly returning the embrace. The two reunited friends cried together. Marie and Marina silently agreed that it was best if the agents were left alone for a while. They super-jumped back to Tentakeel Outpost and left Chloe and Ryan by themselves.

"It wasn't your fault," Ryan said between sobs. "You were scared. I know now panicked you can get sometimes... when I found out that *sniff* that it was you in the match, I-I immediately tried to find you… a-and I saw you enter the sewers when I left the lobby..."

Chloe and Ryan had calmed down now, sitting side by side next to the billboard. Shoulder to shoulder. Just like it was before he...

"Where… where have you been all these years?"

"It's a long story."

"Well, I've got all the time in the world."

Ryan's aura got darker. Chloe sensed the change of mood, preparing to listen to every word of Ryan's story. Ryan held his Dynamo Roller on his lap, tinkering with the engine mechanism.

"The past two years… they traumatized me. I was low on money, I needed to find a job, and fast. It was around this time that Grizzco Industries opened up. I signed up for a job, and they hired me. You know how it goes, you fight the Salmonids, and if you get splatted someone can revive you. However, back then they didn't give us life rafts. If you were splatted, you had to hope that somewhere in Inkopolis a respawn point was available.

"I got too cocky during battle. I thought I could do things on my own. I left my co-workers behind to take out a Scrapper… but they surrounded me. I was splatted.

"I was floating for ages. It was nighttime, most respawn points in Inkopolis were turned off. I was in the sky for hours. I thought I'd never come back… but then I respawned.

"But I wasn't in Inkopolis, oh no. I don't completely remember… but I was somewhere in Octo Valley."

Chloe gasped. He was really in Octo Valley all this time? She continued to listen.

"Some Octolings found me… but instead of splatting me again, they took me away. Locked me up. I was so scared, and they acknowledged that. By feeding me fear.

"They beat me up. Forced me to work for them. I hated it. I didn't want to be there. I just wanted to play Turf Wars and goof around like I always do. But these guys kept me locked up.

"I tried to escape. Multiple times. But they found me every single time. And brought me back and forced me to fight. You know what they made me do? They made me kill inklings. And if I didn't comply, they'd beat me and lock me up in a pool of fushia ink. They forced me to kill my own kind! Kill! Not even splat! I ENDED PEOPLE'S' LIVES! I KILLED SO MANY!" Ryan was tearing up. Chloe brought her hands to her mouth.

"Eventually they got sick of me retaliating after a month or two, and so they brainwashed me. I don't remember how, I don't remember any of the events after that. I probably killed many more in the two years I was gone. But I do remember hearing shouting and exclamations about some 'Agent 3' person.

"I don't know why, but they let me go. The last thing I saw before they knocked me out and threw me outside was an Inkling in Hero Armor, being dragged into the headquarters. And boy was he mad at the Octarians. He was yelling at me, calling for help. He wanted me to come and save him. But I couldn't do anything.

"When I came to, I was lying near a grate. I had become older, no longer 14. I'm a goddamn fully blown teenager now. The Octarians stripped me from years of my life that I'll never get back.

"I went through the grate to arrive at Inkopolis Plaza. The plaza was deserted. No one was around anymore, Inkopolis Tower was shut. But I later found out that everyone was hanging downtown at Inkopolis Square. I found that my bank account still existed, got a credit card, bought some new weapons with the last of my money, including this one, and tried to fit back into society by playing in some Turf Wars. Learnt the new maps, joined a random lobby. And we both know what happened after that.

"Turns out that you're the only inkling I've talked to since I came back who recognised me. And I'm so grateful for that. That even after I went missing, you're the only one who cared. No-one I talked to recognised me. None of my friends believed me. Only you did. Just, thank you, Chloe."

Agents 4 and 5 sat beside each other in silence once again. Ryan was wiping away his tears. Chloe was processing the huge backstory that was told to her. Both were enjoying each other's company, watching the sun set over the rocks.

"We're gonna fight back."

Ryan fixed his gaze to Chloe who was still watching the sunset.

"No-one should have to be put through that kind of shit. I will bring you justice if it's the last thing I do."

* * *

 ** _From now on, chapters will be much longer, I thought the previous ones ended too quickly. Enjoy!_**


	4. Chapter 4: Departure

**Chapter 4: Departure**

"Wasn't that just the sweetest thing you ever saw?" Marina asked, peering over the edge of Tentakeel Outpost to spy on the two best friends below on Slimeskin Garrison. She adjusted the focus on her binoculars to see the two closer up. Marina watched as Agents 4 and 5 sat down beside each other. Agent 5 began talking to Agent 4, but he didn't seem too happy. Maybe he was explaining where he had been?

"Quit spying on them. They need their privacy." Marie said, munching on a pineapple-free pizza slice in her shack. "I know what it's like to be reunited with a close one. Trust me, a lot of crying is involved. A lot."

"Aww, but look at them! The cutie and her friend look so… well, cute together!"

"Agent A, now isn't the time for matchmaking. Besides, Agent 4 already has a love interest."

Marina snapped her head towards Marie, who was still munching away.

"How would you know that? *gasp* Have you been stalking her?"

"No. She has Squinstagram."

"Ah. I see," Marina said before returning to her position on the floor. "Also, can you call us by our actual names?"

"Hmm?"

"Like, you keep calling Chloe Agent 4, and you address me as Agent A all the freaking time."

"Well, Agent A, while we're in Octo Canyon we should use these undercover names in case anyone's spying on us." Marie glared at Marina.

"Fine! I'll stop watching them!" she yelled. She threw her binoculars aside and grabbed a tub of ice-cream from her backpack. She sat down on the floor in front of Marie's bench. The two ate in a comfortable silence, the only sounds being the sounds of chewing, the wind, and, very faintly, Agent 5's voice from down below.

Eventually Marina finished her ice-cream and threw the tub over the edge of the floating outpost. She sat and stared blankly into space for a minute or two, before hearing a *BONK!* noise.

"OUCH! WHAT THE CARP!" Agent 5's voice could be heard from below. Marina barely held back a giggle.

"SORRY!" she yelled back. It wasn't long before a very angry Ryan super-jumped up to Tentakeel Outpost, with Chloe following after him. He landed with a THUMP, and immediately headed for the shack. Chloe tried to stop him, but she decided it was best if she just let him release all his built up anger.

"Which one of you threw that?!" Ryan furiously yelled, blowing his tentacle away from his eye.

"Uh, that would be me, sweetie," Marina grinned, raising her hand a little. Ryan stomped over to her and pointed between her eyes. Marina shrank in a bit of fear.

"What was that for? And who even are you?!"

Marie and Marina stared blankly at Ryan. "Uhh… what? You don't know who I am?"

Chloe spoke up. "Did you forget that he was missing for two years? He knows who you are, Agent 2, but he doesn't know *ahem* Marina is."

"Ah, then allow me to introduce myself," Marina happily exclaimed, grabbing something out of her backpack: a smartphone. She plugged in a pair of headphones, and before Ryan could even react Marina slipped them onto his head and turned on a song.

The faint sound of 'Ebb Flow' by Off the Hook played through the headphones. At first, Ryan just listened to the tune. But soon enough, a smile formed on his face. He started bobbing his head to the music.

"Hey, this is really good!" Ryan said to the madly grinning Marina. "Who's the other singer?"

"Oh, that's Pearl. She can spit lyrics like no other rapper!"

"Huh, neat," Ryan said, handing the headphones back to Marina. "I like your music. It's really good. BUT, you still hit me on the head. The same spot Chl- Agent 4 hit me. And that hurt. Don't think you can butter me up like that."

"Alright, fine. I'm sorry. Are ya happy now?"

"*sigh* yeah, whatevs. Is it fine if I crash in your… shack, thing, Agent 2?"

"Go ahead," Marie said, gesturing towards the bench.

"Thanks," Ryan said before falling asleep the moment he lay down.

"Welp, I guess the song got rid of all the anger that had built up over the years," Chloe said, sitting down on the floor in front of the bench. She found Marie's pizza and began eating a slice.

"Say, Agent 4, did he tell you where he had been for so long?" Marina asked, turning to face Chloe.

Chloe swallowed the pizza in her mouth. "Oh, he said he got stranded in Octo Valley after an accident in the middle of a Salmon Run, and the Octarians found him, brainwashed him and forced him to execute inklings."

Marie and Marina looked at her in shock and horror.

"That… that's fucked up," Marie said.

"Yeah, I know. I want to bring him justice. But that's not all… he said that when they finally let him go, he saw Agent 3.

"Agent 3! Really?" Marina asked.

"Yeah, you heard me. Apparently when they captured him, they had no more prison cells so they let Ryan out so he could take his place."

"Wait, so that means…" Marie gasped. 'Agent 3 is working for the Octarians? And against his will?"

"Bingo. Ryan told me that he was screaming for him to come save him. But… I don't really believe it."

"You don't believe Ryan?"

"No, I don't believe that Agent 3 would be crying out to Ryan for help. I mean, he wouldn't know that he's an agent, and I know that he only trusts agents himself. Unless…"

"Unless he already knew," Marie said in realisation. "What are you getting at?"

"I haven't deciphered this puzzle yet… but from the information Ryan gave me, I know there's more information, aside from the fact that Agent 3 was brainwashed. There has to be a bigger picture. Are we really hearing the truth? We can't leave any stones unturned; we've gotta go find more information. Marie, you were gonna send us on a stealth mission, right?"

Marie composed herself. "Yes, that is correct. Using Agent A's extensive knowledge of the Octarian base, your agility and Agent 5's impressive stealth, you three can find all the information you need. I'll communicate with you using this headset." She reached behind her and pulled out a pair of headphones similar to the agents'.

Suddenly, static came out of the speakers, which shocked everyone. It even woke up Ryan, who came to stand beside Chloe. The static continued, before a voice was heard.

"Agent 2, can you hear me?"

Marie gasped. "Agent 3! Is that you!"

"Yeah, it's me, now get over here, quickly! They're about to brainwash me! Listen up, this is incredibly important. I know what they're gonna make me do. They're gonna have me execute Inklings for them. And when you come for me, they're gonna send me out to fight you. It's all a trap, a setup. So if you do come, I need to say in advance… I'm sorry."

More static, then another voice. This one was raspy, and menacing.

"Aww, how touching. Too bad you agents will have trouble finding out if he's telling the truth. See ya later!~" and the transmission cut.

Agent 4 immediately pulled out her weapon. She began scanning the area around her.

Ryan spoke up. "Agent 4, what are you doi-"

The sounds of sloshes and an Octarian being splatted interrupted him. Chloe stood tall.

"They're spying on us. When that mysterious voice said we'd 'have trouble deciphering the truth', I knew he was listening to our previous conversation before calling. Listening through one of his spies."

"And if I know the boss, he'll keep spying on us 'till we do what he wants," Marina said. Chloe looked over her shoulder.

"You know that guy?"

"Not very well. He was my boss, I didn't know him by name."

"Well, there's only one thing we can do now.," Chloe said, pulling out the map of Octo Canyon. She navigated to Sector 5.

"What's that?"

Chloe tapped the screen and switched to squid form.

"It's octo-huntin' time."


	5. Chapter 5: Infiltration

Agent 5 switched out of squid form mid super-jump and landed perfectly yet again behind Agent 4. The team had arrived at the centre of Cephalon HQ, leaving Marie at the Cuttlefish Cabin to mess with the tech. Neon-coloured floating platforms were scattered around the surrounding area, providing transport to the various sections of the sector. The large hole holding the boss kettle where Agent 4 defeated DJ Octavio lay in front of them, existing within the ocean of fushia ink.

Upon entering the area, the Agents' tentacles became green. After a little static, Marie's voice projected from each of the three Hero Headphones.

"Alright, that should keep you guys from splatting each other. Can you hear me?"

"Yep," Agent 4 said, loosening the bronze, upgraded suspensions on her Hero Slosher.

"Crystal clear!" Agent A said, loading her Hero Splatling's bronze tank with green ink.

"Sure can," Agent 5 said, starting up the engine on his Dynamo Roller. He had remodeled his weapon to have the same style as the Hero Roller, with a little help from Agent 4 and Sheldon. He even replaced the engine with a shiny bronze one using the Ammo Knights Enhancifier, giving him a faster fling and roll speed while keeping the power.

"Great," Marie said, tapping some keys on a keyboard. "Are you all ready to infiltrate?"

"Yep, we're ready," Agent 4 said.

"Alright. Take it away."

"Agent 5, you still got the fake squid I gave you?"

"Uh yeah…" he said, pulling out a green squid plushie. "What do you want me to do with it?"

He followed Agents 4 and A onto a turquoise platform, which took them to the boss kettle. Agent 4 walked up to it, resting a foot on the edge.

"As soon as you enter this thing, it starts spiraling downwards and enters a doorway. Beneath us is the battlefield where I fought Octavio, and around that, is the Octarian hideout."

"Normally the tunnel downward would be inaccessible, since you're inside the kettle," Agent A said, moving in closer. "However, I helped build this thing, and I remember that there's one humanoid-sized panel I forgot to place in. Nobody noticed, so I left it. That opening leads to a tunnel above the hideout.

"Agent 5, I want you to shove that fake squid in the kettle. I made it using materials that can pass through grates with enough force. Normally Octavio would be waiting for you down there, but I stole the hypnoshades Callie puts on so she can't help him, and he can't be there." She pulled out the shades and snapped them in half. "As soon as this platform starts spinning, we jump. I'll throw a Grapplink into the opening, and we'll all shoot it to get to the vent."

Agent 4 held a large Grapplink in her left hand, her Slosher in the other. She stood back with Agent A, while Agent 5 approached the kettle.

"There are motion sensors near the bottom, so if any inkling-shaped object passes through, it'll trigger the alarms," Agent 4 warned." That squid will dissolve halfway down, preventing the alarms going off, but the platform will continue down, revealing the sensors. That means we only have one shot at this. Are you ready?"

Agent 5 nodded and stood in front of the boss kettle. He raised his arms with the plushie held between his hands. Agent A put on her Classic Octoling Goggles and charged her Hero Splatling, ready to fire. The squad bent their knees in anticipation.

"Go."

Agent 5 slammed the squid through the grates and stepped back. The circular platform began to spin wildly, carrying the squad with it. Luckily, their boots were made to create massive amounts of friction, so they stayed put on their places on the platform. Their tentacle hair got in the way of their eyes as the platform lowered. After a few seconds of descent and wild spinning later, the panel Agent A spoke of revealed itself.

Agent 4 jumped off the platform, aimed and threw the Grapplink into the inkling-sized opening. It rose to the roof, ready for use. She sloshed once, the ink hitting the device and transporting her beneath it in squid form. Agent A released the ink charged up in her barrel and inked the Grapplink as well, being pulled to Agent 4's position.

Agent 5 launched himself from the platform as it fell below him. He threw his Hero Dynamo Roller over his shoulder and aimed for a vertical flick…but missed. The wall to the right of the opening was coated in green ink and he began to fall to the ground.

"SHIT!" He yelled, tumbling down towards the platform. He was approaching the halfway mark, where the alarms sat. He shut his eyes and prepared to have his ears blasted by sound… but he felt someone grab onto him.

When he opened his eyes in shock, he saw Agent 4 latched onto him with her left arm, a fully charged Hero Charger in her other. She grit her teeth while flipping around and taking aim. She let off a shot, hitting the Grapplink and switching to squid form to zoom towards it. Agent 5 grabbed her tentacle with his free hand, getting pulled with her.

A moment of airtime later, Agent 4 landed on her feet in kid form, while Agent 5 face planted into the floor, catching his breath.

"You're lucky we're still in Octo Canyon, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to switch weapons," Agent 4 said, equipping her Slosher once again. She extended her hand to Agent 5 on the floor. "Rule #1 of the battlefield: don't miss."

"Alright, I get it. Sorry," Agent 5 said, taking her hand. She pulled him up and the team prepared to infiltrate. Agent 5 switched his motor to silent. Agent 4 oiled her suspensions. Agent A switched to a Hero Shot, a much quieter weapon. The sound of scraping metal was heard from outside, signalling that the large, circular doors had closed. The squad advanced forwards, avoiding any creaky spots on the walkway.

"Wow, there's a whole tunnel here," Agent 4 whispered. "Why is this here?"

"We slept in these tunnels while building," Agent A whispered back. "We covered them up at the end, but I left mine open."

"Huh."

They soon came to the end of the tunnel, where a panel lay sealing off the tunnel. With one swift movement, Agent A removed the panel silently and set it aside. Bright fuschia light lit up their faces from the other side. They got on the ground and peered over the edge, side by side. Agent A wasn't shocked at what they saw, but the other two were wide eyed.

"This… this is pure Inkling torture."


	6. Chapter 6: Torture

**Chapter 6: Torture**

A million thoughts and emotions flooded Chloe's mind as she watched the terror below her. Disbelief, horror, fear. None of which were positive.

The large room was divided into two halves, a wide pathway separating them. On one side, hundreds upon thousands of prison cells, each lit up with the many colours of Inkling tentacles. The prisoners looked hungry and terrified.

One Octarian, who looked like an Octoling, approached a cell with an orange Inkling with the classic long hairstyle laying on the floor, dressed in nothing but black underwear. Her eyes were closed, her skin was deathly pale and the colour had nearly completely drained from her tentacles. Her hands tied behind her back with painful rope, which was littered with spikes and coated in fushia ink. Her groans were muted by the ink-soaked towel gagging her. Pale tears left her tightly shut eyes. Chloe could only imagine how much pain this poor Inkling was in. Enemy ink is incredibly painful against bare skin. What did she do to deserve this?

The Octoling unlocked the barred gate. The sound alone was enough for the Inkling to snap her eyes open and quiver with fear. The Octarian grabbed the Inkling by the tentacles, pulling her to her feet and out of the cell. She then proceeded to yank the terrified Inkling onto the other side of the room…

The Inked Maidon. TheSquillotine. The Rack. Agent 4 counted 8 torture devices all together in this one space. Each one designed specifically to put Inklings through agonising pain, before executing them in front of an audience. Such audience consisted of a crowd of assorted Octarians seated in bleaches. Each time a person was killed, the crowd erupted with cheers.

However, the inkling was not taken to any of these devices. Instead, she was lead to a large stage at the far end of the room, where she was attached to a tall metal pole with the same spiky, ink-coated rope. Her hands were tied above her head and her feet were attached the the base of the pole, violently shaking with pain and unable to speak. Suddenly, a door opened to the right of the stage, and a blinding light flooded the room.

The agents gasped.

"Agent 3?!"

The familiar agent stepped out of the light. He was wearing a pair of hypnoshades, but they were fastened to his head with elastic. His dark blue tentacles were untied and rested freely on his shoulders. He slowly approached the Inkling, his heavy metal boots clanking with every step. He came to a stop behind the Inkling. The room fell silent. Agents 4 and A couldn't take their eyes from the scene, while Agent 5 examined the event from a new point of view.

Agent 3 slowly walked around the pole to stand in front of her. His face was blank. He lifted his shades slightly, locked eyes with her, and the air became heavy. The Inkling's froze, petrified.

Agent 3 reached behind him and drew a sword with a blade made of solid ink. The sword dripped with fuchsia ink as he raised his blade. The Inkling tried to clench her teeth and tightly shut her eyes.

With one quick swipe, the girl squealed with agonising pain.

Ink sprayed across the room, coating the walls, ceiling, floor and Octarians with ink. Agent 3 seemed unscathed. The crowd roared with applause. The Inkling fell limp, a massive slash across her eyes. Two Octolings untied her and dragged her limp body across the stage, leaving a trail of orange and fuchsia ink, and took her towards the doorway to the right.

Agent A and Agent 4 were horrified. They had silently watched the whole scene from their exposed panel at the far corner of the room.

"What the fuck?!" Agent A whispered. "I have no words! Agent 5, you used to do this shit?!"

"Not willingly, at least,", Agent 5 whispered, without batting an eye. "I remember this place, but I still know so little about it. I don't understand why these Inklings are here, what they did and how they got here."

Agent 4 studied the aftermath. The trail of ink left behind by the Inkling had little flakes of glitter in it. She scanned Agent 3, who was sheathing his sword. He has stayed emotionless the entire time, but the look on the Inklings face before the execution said otherwise. It was flooded with genuine fear.

The audience began leaving the room, as it appeared that they were packing up for the day. It was 10pm, after all. As the Octarians left, Agent 4 spotted the Inkling being dragged through the doorway. She noticed something, before she was completely taken through the doorway.

Her tentacles had began to sharpen, curl and change colour.

"Did you see that? We need to check that out, let's go!" she whisper-shouted as she pulled out a grappling hook.

"See what? What happened? Don't just abandon our mission!" Agent 5 hissed, confused. But before his questions could be answered then realised a spot of fushia ink had been sizzling on his cheek for the last minute. The pain only just began to kick in. It took all of his might to hold back from screaming as everyone left.

Once the room was cleared, and Agent 3 had began to leave through the doorway, Agent 4 grabbed hold of the other agents and threw a Grapplink above the doorway.

"I'm not certain, but I swear I saw that Inkling's tentacles start to warp and change colour. We need to check it out."

Agent 4 released the trigger and the grappling hook carried them all towards the door. As they swung, Agent 5 gave a hefty sigh of relief as the burning ink was scrubbed off his face by the wind.

He may have been too loud, because as soon as he made a sound, Agent 3 drew his sword and leaped through the air, his blade pointed towards them.


	7. Chapter 7: Attack

**Chapter 7: Attack**

"GAAHHH!"

Agent A looked behind her to see Agent 3 flying towards them, with his blank expression and his sword raised above his head. Reflexes kicked in, and she kicked Agent 5 away before letting go of Agent 4's flying squid body. She narrowly dodged a swing of Agent 3's sword.

Agent 4 reached the Grapplink and immediately pulled out her Slosher, ready to fling at any moment. She watched Agent 3 hurdle towards her, still airborne. He appeared to be clicking a button on his belt...

Suddenly, Agent 3 flashed with light, his tentacles glowing brilliantly.. His body began coating with glossy blue ink, and a circular hologram appeared around her.

"Splashdown!" Agent 4 yelled, as she dived out of the way before Agent 3 hit the ground in a swirl of ink. Agent 5 slammed down beside her, while Agent A landed gracefully. They all readied their weapons.

The Splashdown faded away, revealing Agent 3 recovering from the attack. His expression stayed blank, but he emitted an aura of annoyance that the team could sense. He reached for another button on his belt, and he flashed with light once again.

The team gasped.

"He has his special again!" Agent 5 exclaimed. "How did he charge it so quickly?!'

Agent 3 pulled out an Autobomb Launcher and rested it on his shoulders. He began firing immediately.

"A different special, too?!" Agent 5 yelled, astonished. The team covered the ground in ink and swam around to avoid all of the bombs. Right before they could recover, they had to find a wall to hide behind to avoid the shots of Agent 3's Inkjet.

"There's no way we'll be able to fight him if he keeps spamming these specials!" Agent 4 said. "We have to get those hypnoshades off him!"

"Alright, but how do we—"

 _SLAM_!

The team dodged an attack from the Ultra Stamp and began to run away.

"Someone has to get incredibly close!" Agent A gasped. "Agent 4, you try to get ahead; we'll distract him!"

Agent 4 nodded. She turned to see Agent 3 hurl the Ultra Stamp towards them. She took a deep breath and then leaped in the air. She focused on the flying projectile spinning towards her… and caught it right out of the air!

With a few midair spins, she threw the stamp back towards Agent 3. He barely dodged the counter-attack before he was hit with a wall of green ink from Agent 5, who had already made his way beside Agent 3.

He readied another fling and swung his roller again, but Agent 3 parried the attack with his sword. Agent 3 went for a slice at his torso, but Agent A shot him in the back before he could. The two agents peppers Agent 3 with green ink, but many attacks were dodged or parried.

The entire time the fight occurred, every prisoner on the other side of the hall cheered on the infiltrating side. Through the muffling of the gags, all the Inklings cheered on for the New Squidbeak Splatoon as they bombarded Agent 3 with attacks. This fight was their glimmer of hope.

The moment an opening was found, Agent 3 striked. He drove his boot into Agent 5's stomach as he prepared to fire and his fist into Agent A's chest. The two agents were launched backwards and landed with a heavy thump. The crowd of prisoners all groaned in response.

Agent 3 gripped his sword. He slowly walked towards Agent 5 and stood before his head. Agent 5 stared at his emotionless face as Agent 3, once more, raised the sword and prepared to strike—

 _Snip_!

Agent 3 snapped his head around to see Agent 4 with a pair of scissors.

"What's up?"

 _WHAM_!

Agent 4 threw a meaty punch at Agent 3's face, causing his head to jerk back and the hypnoshades to fall off. They both hit the ground with a SLAM, along with a now separated piece of elastic.

Agent 3 groaned and slowly stood back up, his eyes shut. The other agents came to Agent 4's side as he made his way to his feet. He stood without motion, but his fists were clenched and his torso was straight. His face was still blank.

"...Hello?" Agent 4 said, puzzled, as she waved a hand in front of Agent 3's face. "...Are you un-hypnotised?"

His hand suddenly grabbed her arm with a deathly grip. His eyes flashed open, to reveal a ferocious stare that could cut through diamonds. His eyes had changed from a deep blue to an acidic fuschia colour. Agent 4 hastily tried to pull her arm away without success. The other agents reached for their weapons, to find that they were flung halfway across the hall.

Agent 3 slowly leaned forwards, staring through her soul, until he was mere inches away from her face.

"...Bold of you to assume I was hypnotised."

* * *

 _ **...kept you waiting, huh?**_

 _ **Long story short, Octo Expansion caused me to nearly abandon this project. Also life and school and blah blah blah.**_

 _ **I've decided to make this story take place pre-Octo Expansion. I have some great new ideas as to where I can take the story using what I've set up for myself, and how it can lead to the Octo Expansion. However, I've had to scrap some of my old ideas. Most of them will still work in the context of this new direction, though.**_

 _ **I can't promise regular updates, but I can say that I probably won't take two years to update the story. Can't guarantee anything, though.**_

 _ **Thanks for sticking around, and if you have any criticism, please feel free to share it!**_

 _ **(I'll keep these footers short in the future I promise ;-;)**_


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